Saying it with flowers? Check the price tag

dubai — Flowers will probably always remain the best way to express love. But then even love does not come free as flowers, too, cost money. And the costs have increased just before Valentine’s Day for retailers, who claim to have opted for a “lesser profit margin” so as not to increase the retail prices for love birds.

“The value of flowers cannot be compared with any other gift ... The value of a rose bouquet cannot be put into feelings,” said Jenny Joseph, managing director of Jenny Flowers in Dubai.

“The costs have gone up over the years, but not for the customers.”

He said the “costs and overheads” keep increasing each year since the flowers have to be imported. “The suppliers demand more each year and we cannot increase the retail prices due to the competition.”

There has also been a change in the way customers order flowers. “Earlier, people were sure of their feelings and used to place orders a few days before Valentine’s Day,” he said. “Now 70 per cent place orders on the day itself.”

On an average, he said, a bouquet of red roses costs between Dh100 to Dh150.

Online flower delivery shops have also changed the equation. Mathew, the owner of DubaiFlowerDelivery.com — which sells flowers online and at a shop in Al Nahda — said the flowers are procured from the wholesale market. He said the cost of a bouquet starts from Dh50.

However, under the Valentine’s Day section, the website listed a bouquet of 12 red, pink and white roses starting from Dh245. A 15rose bouquet costs Dh275, while 12 roses in a vase cost Dh295. The cost of Valentine roses and a teddy was listed as Dh300. The most expensive was a basket of 101 red roses costing Dh1,224. A representative of Princessa Flowers in Dubai also said that suppliers had increased the prices. He said the cost of three roses started from Dh30. The website, however, listed a Valentine bouquet from Dh400.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com